ride back to the u.s., with the secretary of state. without warning. the unexpected suicide of junior seau. putting the bright white spotlight on the nfl. and why this keeps happening. new fees. the low-cost airline planning to charge passengers 100 bucks for their carry-on. and before michelle, juicy, new letters from a young barack obama in love. good morning. i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. >> good morning, everyone. i'm rob nelson. we begin with the diplomatic drama unfolding overnight in beijing. human rights activist chen guangcheng has rejected a deal that would allow him to stay freely in china. he told an official by phone, the u.s. has let him down. >> instead, he wants a ride to america onboard secretary of state clinton's plane when she

leaves china. u.s. diplomats are hoping to head off an embarrassing showdown over the case. >> it is a developing story we'll certainly keep an eye on throughout the day. also developing this morning, another threat is looming from al qaeda. this one calling on followers to ignite wildfires here in the u.s. two, new issues of the terror magazine, "inspire," has surfaced, offering details on how to start a huge forest fire. and it recommends montana as an ideal target. the magazine issues are the first since the deaths of its founders, radical cleric, anwar ul hail awlaki and his editor. junior seau was found dead at his southern california home after an apparent suicide. tahman bradley has details. >> reporter: this morning, the search for answers into why nfl great junior seau may have taken his own life. the medical examiner hopes to

provide more answers perhaps as early as today. police say seau died of a self-inflected gunshot wound. >> take me. leave my son alone. >> my brother was a loving brother. a caring citizen. >> it doesn't make sense, man. i know how great a heart this guy had. >> reporter: after retiring from the nfl in 2010, seau survived a 100-foot fall down a seaside cliff. hours after an investigation for domestic violence. seau joins an alarming number of former football players who committed suicide. four in little more than a year. all of them showed signs of head trauma. >> we think in some instances, the head drama could be related to depression. and depression, at times, can be a cause of suicide. >> reporter: it's not just nfl greats like seau who are at risk. according to the centers for disease control, high school football players offer 2 million

brain injuries a year. >> my message to you guy is to stick it out. and know there's going to be a time when football will end. >> reporter: seau's death follows the suicide of dave duerson who shot himself in the chest. and in a suicide note, asked that his brain be studied. >> the nfl is so concerned about player safety. particularly head injuries. but what is the league doing to better protect its players? >> reporter: that's right, rob. the nfl says it takes head injuries very seriously. and the nfl has changed its guidelines in dealing with concussions. they're also, rob, trying to attack the culture of concuss n concussions so players understand it's not okay to simply walk away from them. but the associated press polled 44 nfl players. and half of them say they try to conceal a concussion so they can play. and also, rob, seau's official stats, rather unbelievably, after 20 seasons, do not list a single concussion. >> that's amazing, considering

how many years he played and how many tackles during that time. tahman bradley, thanks for that report. as you can imagine thousands of sports figures and fans are mourning seau on twitter. john elway tweeted, quote, junior was a true xheter and special player. and skateboarding legend, tony hawk, said this. you were an inspiration for turning success into a greater good. thank you for making san diego a better place for youth. of course, we'll have much more on this story coming up later today on "gma." in arizona, a white supremacist is reportedly behind a deadly shooting rampage in suburban phoenix. local media have identified the gunman has jason j.t. ready. they say he committed suicide after killing four people, including a toddler. the shooting 12e78 stemmed from an domestic violence incident. to the john edwards trial now, where his oldest daughter left the courtroom in tears

during testimony about her late mother. cate edwards had been by her father's side until now. the friend quoted edwards saying to her husband, you don't see me anymore. and later removed her shirt and bra. to presidential politics now. another key endorsement for mitt romney. former candidate and tea party darling, michele bachmann, is announcing her support for the campaign later today. that endorsement may help romney, actually win over conservative voters across the country. meanwhile, newt gingrich has officially withdrawn from the race. his announcement led to this funny bit from last night's "jimmy kimmel live." >> 180,000 people who donated to the campaign. i want you to know that without you, none of this would have been possible. thank you. and i look forward to working with you, for a better future for america. >> leave it to jimmy. take a look, now, at weather from across the country this morning. we have some rain and mountain

snow in the pacific northwest, northern rockies and northern california, as well. some hail, gusty winds and isolated tornadoes around sioux falls, milwaukee, des moines, chicago and cleveland. morning showers from d.c. to boston. thunderstorms from pittsburgh to memphis, birmingham and new orleans. >> 86 in new orleans. 79 in baltimore. and 53 in boston. mostly 80s in the nation's midsection. phoenix heats up to 91. sacramento, 70. and seattle, 53. and coming up next after the break, the airline that is planning to charge 100 bucks to carry on your bags. believe it or not. plus, new outrage surrounding ashton kutcher and the new commercial being pulled from the air. and we'll also have new details in the salon visit that has so many people talking. that mom accused of tanning her 5-year-old daughter.

welcome back, everybody. well, chrysler had a blockbuster april, with sales up 20% from a year ago. to keep up with all that demand, four of its factories will work all summer instead of shutting down for a two-week maintenance break. demand is especially high for two jeep models. and there's a guarded outlook for the april jobs report, which is due out later this morning. but there is, meanwhile, some real trouble in europe. that's where 17 countries now face record unemployment, now averaging 10.9%. and get this. in spain, the rate there, 24%, 51% among young people. but it's great to be the ceo

of an american company. the average chief executive earned $11 million last year. that's 231-times more than the average worker. and look at this. between 1978 and 2011, the average ceo compensation increased by 725%.e worker's pa 5%. a mixed picture for this markets this morning. in asia, tokyo's nikkei average gained 29 points today. but hong kong's hang seng lost 121. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow fell nearly 11 points yesterday. the nasdaq lost nine. an online ad with actor ashton kutcher portraying an indian man has been pulled, following complaints that the ad is racist. for the product pop chips, kutcher was playing a man named raj looking for love.

pop chips said it never meant to offend anyone. "the scream" has set a new record at auction. an anonymous buyer bought one of the four versions of the edward munch masterpiece for nearly $120 million last night. that is, as you can imagine, a record for a piece of art. well, passengers may be screaming over new fees from spirit airlines. it already charges $45 for a carry-on bag that can't fit under your seat. now, it's raising that fee to $100 if you wait until the gate to pay it. that could cost more than the ticket itself in some cases. >> can imagine there will be a little backlash to that. >> $100? >> that's ridiculous. unless you're a ceo, you can pay for it. >> that's right. next on this thursday, on-field elusion, after another no-hitter in the big leagues. and the mom putting the spotlight on responsible tanning. [ male announcer ] this is coach parker...

whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪

take a look at this video shot at a zoo in oregon. did the lion mistake this little boy for dinner? well, it looks that way. but the parents said they were never worried since the thick sheet of glass was keeping the two apart. little jack is also dressed in zebra stripes. and that may have caught the big cat's attention. zoo workers say the lions are always interested in young visitors. >> thank the lord for thick glass. now, for a look at morning road conditions on this thursday. it will be wet on i-95 from boston to d.c. and slick on i-10, from tallahassee to new orleans. heavy rain on i-80, from cleveland to omaha. and i-90, from chicago to sioux falls. showers dampen 84 and 90 in the northwest. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in detroit, chicago and kansas city. a new jersey mother has pleaded not guilty to taking her 5-year-old daughter into a

tanning booth. >> a deeply-bronzed patricia krentcil said her daughter got tanned from the sun outside. the alleged owner said that his workers told him the child never entered the tanning booth. krentcil remains free on bail. she has custody of her kids. but child services is monitoring the family. >> the picture says it all. other news this morning. 13 people are facing criminal charges in the hazing death of a florida a&m university drum major. robert champion died back in november, after getting pummeled by members of his own marching band. his attackers could face a maximum of six years behind bars. prosecutors say they didn't have the evidence to justify more serious charges, like murder, or manslaughter. the nfl is suspending four players without pay for taking cash to intentionally hurt opposing team members. saints linebacker, jonathan vilma is suspended for the next season. anthony hargrove, now with the green bay packers will miss the

first half of the season. will smith and scott fujita will miss the first two games. >> not a good off-season for my saints. attorneys for a college student who was forgotten in a federal holding cell for four days plans to sue. daniel trong said he thought he was losing his mind. the 23-year-old was never charged with a crime, though. the d.e.a. has apologized. but his lawyer says that's not enough. there's been overwhelming response to facebook's new initiative announced first on "good morning america" this week, to link potential organ donors to people waiting for transplants. in 18 states, there's been a tremendous spike in the number of people signing up to become donors. in california, an average of 70 new organ donors sign up every day. but just hours after facebook's announcement tuesday, more than 1,200 donors had signed up. by early wednesday, there were several thousand more ready to save lives. a new study links popular

caffeinated energy drinks to teenage dental hazards. researchers tested red bull and eight other energy drinks and found damage to teenagers' teeth after just five days. they say the high acidity eats away at tooth enamel. dentists recommend brushing your teeth after consuming an energy drink. a former rutgers' football player who was paralyzed during a game two years ago, has just signed a pro contract with the tampa bay buccaneers. eric le grant said the honorary contract was a dream come true. his coach said it's a small gesture to recognize his character, his spirit and certainly his unarguable perseverance. and in baseball, there's been another no-hitter. an incredible feat. we get all the details on that and more, from espn news. >> good morning, i'm jorge andres. this is your "sportscenter" update. let's go out to the west coast. jered weaver and the angels taking on the twins. weaver with a no-hitter going.

lines one just fall down the left line. there it is again. barely. same at-bat. strikes out swinging. to the sixth inning now. weaver getting carroll swinging. to the ninth inning we shall go. weaver, one out away from a no-hitter. >> and casilla out to right. and torii hunter goes back. >> jered weaver, making history. completing the no-hitter. striking out nine. the angels win, 9-0. to the ice. rangers taking on the capitols. second period. rangers on the power play. michael del zotto, his shot. callahan, the rebound. 1-0, new york. later, josh carlson, beating

henrik lundqvist. we're all tied at 1-1. we go to the third overtime. yes, the third overtime. marian gaborik finding the back of the net. that's the game-winner. rangers win 2-1. they lead the series, 2-0. the nba playoffs on espn friday. the hawks/celtics at 7:30. the bulls/sixers at 8:00. and lakers/nuggets at 10:00 p.m. >> big congratulations to jered weaver. during the biggest game of his career last night, there was something else on his mind. >> he talked about it after the game. >> i had to pe pee so bad, it w unbelievable. i didn't know whether to sit down or go do it or what. i had to go relieve myself. i had to throw the superstition out the window. >> when nature calls, nature calls. no matter what the moment is.

even during a no-hitter. you got to go, you got to go. it's all about focus. well done. up next, "the pulse." >> long before michelle, there was love and loving for a young barack obama. all the juicy details, coming right up. [ female announcer ] walgreens introduces nice!

[ woman ] i got it. [ dad ] where's your brother? ♪ [ dad ] hello. [ female announcer ] quality everyday products at a way better price. [ girl ] mom! ♪ [ female announcer ] now that's nice. right now nice pistachios and other select nuts are just $2.99. sold only at walgreens. we serve more than starters. we serve igniters. and now, so can you. introducing succulent dumplings and crispy spring rolls. ignite the night with p.f. chang's home menu appetizers. find them near our frozen meals.

splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweetener with b vitamins, the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart ways to sweeten. same great taste. splenda® essentials™. you know, from car insurance companies shouting, "save 500 bucks over here!" "no, save 300 bucks over here!" "wait, save 400 bucks right here." with so many places offering so much buck-saving, where do you start? well, esurance was born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so they're actually built to save you money... and time... and whiplash. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. ♪ i'm so in love with you

all right. in this morning's "pulse," one of our favorite stories of the morning. a young barack obama very much in love. >> yes. a new biography relies heavily on love letters and juicy diary entries from the future president and two girlfriends he met long before michelle. >> good to point that out. long before michelle. >> yeah. >> let's set the scene a little bit here. it's the early '80s and he's living his bohemian years here in new york city. the summer of 1982, his girlfriend at the time, alex mcnear, who he knew from college in california. >> when she returned to the west coast, their relationship continued through passionate, poetic letters. >> the future president writes adoringly of his life in new york. quote, moments trip gently along over here. snowcaps the bushes in unexpected ways. birds shoot and spin like balls of sound. my feet hum over the dry walks. >> poetry. >> really.

>> poetry from barack obama. >> i was writing like that when i was 22. the president was inspired. >> then, there was a young australian woman named genevieve cook. the relationship was the most romantic of his life to that point. she writes in her journal of visits to his cozy bedroom. >> one entry is, quote, the sexual warmth is definitely there. but the rest of it has sharm edges. his warmth can be deceptive. though he speaks sweet words, he can be open and trusting. there is also that coolness. >> wow. the president. >> don't know what else to say. >> who knew? what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally.

hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

updating the top stories. chinese human rights activist, chen guangcheng, has rejected a deal to stay in china. and now says he wants to come to the u.s. with his family. even begging to be put on secretary of state clinton's plane.

family and friends are struggling to understand the apparent suicide of former nfl player junior seau. some are questioning whether seau suffered from depression, brought on by injuries on the gridiron. a new record was set last night in new york, where the famous painting called "the scream," sold for nearly $120 million. and today's weather, some morning showers in the northeast. thunderstorms from pittsburgh to the gulf coast. also, have some rain and mountain snow in the northwest. finally from us this morning, a down on his luck dog in oklahoma is getting a new leash on life, thanks to an unlikely pal. >> abc's john berman reports on an amazing animal friendship that's got everyone smiling. >> reporter: forget the adorable, irresistible face. this is a dog that was down on its luck. really down to his last chance. >> i can tell you, it was more than one time i recommended putting tanner to sleep. >> reporter: tanner, a golden retriever, now 2 years old, was born blind.

by the time he was turned over to this animal hospital in tulsa, oklahoma, he had nightly, uncontrollable su uncontrollable seizures. but his whole life was turned around, probably saved, by the world's most unlikely helping hand. helping paw, really. >> just haven't seen anything like this ever. >> reporter: several months ago, blair arrived at the hospital. a street dog with her own problems. shy to the point of cowering.ec shot as a puppy. when the blind, seizure-stricken tanner, met the timid, gunshot victim, blair, they did more than play. they bonded. blair came out of her shell. she seemed to have a purpose. this amazing footage. blair grabbing a leash and leading tanner through the yard. a seeing-eye dog for a dog. is it possible this street dog knows her friend is blind?

>> oh, yeah. i don't think there's a doubt. >> reporter: they are now inseparable. and what's more, tanner's seizures are disappearing. the healing power of dog's best friend. john berman, abc news, new york. >> i love that story. >> you own three dogs, right? >> three rescues. that's right. >> you like that story. you're about to tear right there. that's a great story. a great one. coming up later on "good morning america," what 46,000 bucks enough be enough child support? that's what this supermodel is asking for. >> and the guy has a child with his wife, selma hayek. all the de two brothers accused of beating a black teen